The whole “lipstick on a pig” discussion got me thinking about other popular animal-based turns of phrase. Using some of them, here’s how I see the current horse race from the catbird seat:
When John McCain first introduced Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate, a lot of people were wondering if he was selling a pig in a poke. Instead of being a fish out of water, Palin is clearly cock of the walk in the Republican Party after two short weeks.
While Palin is popular, some conservative birds of a feather are denouncing the open season to look this gift horse in the mouth. Barack Obama got in trouble for trying to put lipstick on a pig. The reference irked some because Palin noted that lipstick, and presumably other cosmetics, are apparently the only things that separate pit bulls from hockey moms.
Conservatives should chill — there’s no reason to think that Palin will let the cat out of the bag about Trooper-gate or other criticisms. After all, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.
In the end, it’s silly to argue that Palin (or any other candidate) should be off-limits for questions. That dog won’t hunt and that’s no bull.